Hello World,
As a journalist, I am very comfortable interviewing people (for the most part anyway), but tomorrow night I will be the one being asked questions as Royal Pen Network host Kendra Norman, a national bestselling author, will interview me! Yes, I’m nervous, but I’m curious about what it’s like from the interviewee’s perspective! Check out the flyer above for the details! If you plan to listen, drop a comment below!
Any thoughts?
Hello World,
Just like that my birthday month is over, and I have to wait a whole year to celebrate all month long again but that’s alright. Although my birthday month is over, I have a gift of sorts for you! I’m back with my monthly roundup of blog posts and or articles for black Christian women! So below is my Top 10 monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine/newspaper articles for black Christian women for September ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out 🙂 As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!
1. “Producer Angela White Makes History with A Question of Faith” by Chandra Sparks Splond
Excerpt: Veteran producer Angela White is about to make history with the release of A Question of Faith. The film, which includes an all-star cast, is White’s first faith-based movie and the first of its kind to have been produced by an African-American woman. I recently spoke with White about A Question of Faith and the importance of pursuing your dreams. Tell me about A Question of Faith. A Question of Faith is a beautiful story that follows three different families, who are struck by tragedy, which forces their destiny on a converging path to discover God’s love, grace, mercy and the power of forgiveness. In “A Question of Faith,” all three families find themselves at a crossroads, questioning their faith and the higher power that guides their lives, as a result of their tragedies. As each family member deals with their issues, their worlds start to intertwine, which leads to a chain of events, which unknowingly brings the three families closer and closer together. Further, the film deals with social issues, such as texting and driving, organ donation and the power of racial reconciliation. See more at: chandrasparkssplond.com
2.”The Subtle, Powerful Way Jordin Sparks Joined The NFL Protests” by Carol Kuruvilla
Excerpt: Singer Jordin Sparks may not have taken the knee during Monday night’s NFL game in Arizona, but she managed to make a powerful statement nonetheless. The “American Idol” winner was scheduled to sing the National Anthem during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. The Dallas team knelt down before the anthem and stood while Sparks sang, and the Arizona players stood and linked arms. Sparks, on the other hand, stood tall throughout her performance. But there was one small detail that could shed a light on what the 28-year-old singer was thinking. Scribbled in black on her hand were the words Prov. 31:8-9. It’s a reference from the book of Proverbs, in the Bible. See more at: huffingtonpost.com
3.”NASA Honors ‘Hidden Figures’ Heroine Katherine Johnson With a Research Building Named After Her” by Ashley Edwards Walker
Excerpt: It has been a big year for Katherine Johnson, the “human computer” who served as the brains behind NASA’s launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Hidden Figures, the movie based on her inspiring—though, until recently, largely unknown—career premiered in January 2017 (it sprang from the book by Margot Lee Shetterly). Taraji P. Henson portrayed Johnson onscreen, and the film won for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Even more important, the film and its portrayal of Johnson is being credited with galvanizing more young women to consider careers in science and technology. Now, in a very much overdue honor for the trailblazer, NASA has just dedicated a new facility to honor the mathematician: the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility. See more at: glamour.com
4.”Ayesha Curry is CoverGirl’s Newest Brand Ambassador”
Excerpt: The cosmetics brand made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday writing, “Told you we had something cookin’ COVERGIRLS… So happy we don’t have to keep our lids on it anymore! See more at: blavity.com
5.”Are Smart, Educated Women Still Called to the Church Nursery?” by Nana Dolce
Excerpt: Case in point: During a recent #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear Twitter conversation, many stressed their concerns over the treatment of women in Christian circles. Among the tweets were stories of restrictive gender roles—women confined to traditionally nurturing positions regardless of their gifts and abilities. “You speak five languages and have a doctoral degree? Children’s ministry is your calling!” wrote one woman in sarcasm. See more at: christianitytoday.com
6.”When The Parents Are White, The Child Is Black, And The Churches Are Segregated” by Leah Donnella
Excerpt: My husband and I are white and we have one biological child (a baby) who shares many of our physical features. We also have a 4-year-old daughter, whom we adopted, who is black. I am trying to surround our daughter with a multiracial community so she is less this one black person in a sea of white. That is a struggle in a city that is still pretty segregated, but my particular question is this: Where should we go to church? See more at: npr.org
7.”50-Year-Old Virgin Called ‘Crazy’ For Saving Sex for Marriage” by Asia Henderson
Excerpt: It’s not every day that you hear about a 50-year-old virgin, but one such woman self-identified as exactly that during a recent airing of The Wendy Williams Show. “I am a 50-year-old virgin and I’m proud of it,” said Evette, shocking the host and her entire studio audience. See more at: buzz.eewmagazine.com
Excerpt: While visiting her brother in the hospital, soul singer Fantasia Barrino blessed another family with her incredible vocals. According to a fan page dedicated to Barrino, a woman approached the artist and asked if she would sing a song to her husband to soothe his spirits. The man was hospitalized for paralysis after suffering injuries from an undisclosed accident. See more at: elev8.hellobeautiful.com
9.”An Austin Congregation Struggles to Put a Confederate Icon in the Past” by Joy Diaz
Excerpt: At the time, the congregation was all white. Today it’s still mostly white, but it’s surrounded by a very diverse community. The church sits in the middle of the University of Texas campus. And yet, Denise Davis was one of only three black people at All Saints. But she was not the only one offended by the window. Father Adams has learned it is offensive to others too. See more at: texasstandard.org
10.”When the Gospel Isn’t Very Good News” by Tess Holgate
Except: “But still there was that part of me that thought, in order for me to belong, I had to erase the part of me that was black, the part of me that grew up Democrat, the part of me that thought Jimmy Carter was the good guy.” Harper says this is how it was to grow up an evangelical Christian in the 1980s, a time she describes as the “rise of the religious Right.” She says the subtext of the movement said that if you’re not Republican, you’re not Christian, and that to be Christian you have to be Republican. See more at: www.eternitynews.com.au
Check out the trailer for “A Question of Faith,” the first faith-based movie produced by an African-American woman, Angela White…My cousin and I saw this movie at the Atlanta premiere last Monday, and we both enjoyed it. I loved seeing some stars that I remember from when I was growing up like Kim Fields from “The Facts of Life” and “Living Single” and C. Thomas Howell from “The Outsiders!”Also, it was nice to see “Uncle Mac,” who was recently killed on “Greenleaf,” in the land of the living LOL. I interviewed GregAlan Williams, who stars in this movie as a pastor and was at the premiere, back in August!
If you know of any black Christian women bloggers and or writers, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com as I’m always interested in expanding my community of black Christian women blogs and websites. As I noted before, while this is a roundup of interesting blog posts and or magazine and newspaper articles for black Christian women, you don’t have to be one to appreciate these pieces 🙂
Any thoughts?
Hello World,
You better lick your fingers and affix them to your edges cuz OWN’s “Greenleaf” was snatchin’ edges like a hot pressing comb to trembling flesh! Yaaas, it was a sizzling Season 2 Finale to say the least! So let’s get into this Greenleaf Finale Recap, Season 2 Episode 16: The Pearl…
My favorite “bad girl” of gospel Le’Andria Johnson starts the episode off crooning “Better days are coming.”…”Sometimes it feels cold and you feel all alone, but better days are coming.” Lady Mae is obviously reminiscing as she pulls out a newspaper clipping from when her deceased brother Uncle Mac won the Man of the Year Award earlier this year. (So I saw Uncle Mac aka GregAlan Williams at the Atlanta premiere of “A Question of Faith” on Monday night. He actually stars in the movie which comes out on Friday!”)
She also takes a look at a mysterious deed and a double strand of pearls. Meanwhile, Bishop is having Maricel move all of his suits from their bedroom to Jacob’s old suite! When Grace asks Maricel why is she moving his suits, she replies “Bishop told me to!”Also, behind Le’Andria is Charity singing background while Jabari watches.
Since it is finally time for the St. Josephine Society Debutante Cotillion that evening, Lady Mae gives the pearls to her granddaughters Zora and Sophia. “They were a double strand, but I had them separated so the two of you can share.” She then explains that a pearl is created when a parasite creeps into oyster. “Something painful and out of place turns into something beautiful.” She further explains how the kingdom of God is like a “pearl of great price.” (I loved the parable about the “Pearl of Great Price” as a child. I guess the precious jewelry motif communicated how precious it is to have a personal relationship with God.) I wonder if she thinks some precious healing can come from the death of her brother. After all, he was a parasite who crept into the Greenleaf gravy train where he found his victims.
The bonding moment is short-lived though as Isaiah’s car horn beeps from outside and Zora rushes out the door. Lady Mae correctly surmises that Isaiah isn’t the best of boyfriends, but that doesn’t matter to Zora, she tells Sophia. “The heart wants what it wants. Or else it does not care.” “Selena Gomez?” asks Sophia the millennial. “Emily Dickinson,” Lady Mae answers.
Lady Mae then calls her sister Mavis (Yes, Oprah finally shows up again!) and tells her she found their mother’s pearls and that she has the deed for Mavis’ club. “I think you still own it.” Remember Mac supposedly took her club from her to punish her for trying to out him as a child molester! Wearing a regal blue taffeta gown that cinches at the waist and flairs out and her hair swept up in a bun high atop her head, Lady Mae is ready for the cotillion!
But that doesn’t stop her from shutting down Kevin, yes, Kevin who has finally returned to the Greenleaf estate! “I came to apologize,” he says. “I was wrong to leave like that. I was having difficulty accepting who I am, and what I’ve done. But I’m ready to be a father again.” He asks her to tell Charity what he said, but she is not trying to hear his excuses. Still Kevin persists. “He’s my son, and I have rights.” Chile, Lady Mae asks Maricel to have Kevin’s car brought to the front of the estate so that he can leave. Kevin calls Aaron. “I’m going to need your help,” he tells him. I guess it’s official now. Kevin and Aaron are a thing…
It’s cotillion time! Time to get their dance on! But not before all of the preliminaries. The Greenleafs, all adorned in their finery, take family pictures and even Darius is included! And then Sofia and Zora, who are dressed in cotillion white and are escorted by Bishop and Jacob, respectively, are presented to society. Both girls boast grade point averages over 4.0! Then Bishop and Sofia and Zora and her father Jacob dance! Lady Mae, while standing next to Tasha Skanks, says, “Like a page in ‘Southern Decor.'” Remember that Tasha saw Lady Mae’s home in “Southern Decor” magazine and purchased artwork by the same artist whose artwork was also featured in Lady Mae’s home? Then Lady Mae says, “I’m so glad it worked out. It always does.” And then we see Tasha and Rochelle Cross exchange a look. Something is up between them for sure. Also, am I the only one who is wondering what happened to Bishop’s Parkinson’s Disease? He was moving with ease!
Speaking of Bishop, Rochelle slithers up to him and says, “Come dance with me. I was hoping for some quality time.” What woman says that to a married man whose wife is nearby?! When Bishop offers to spend time with her at Calvary i.e. in a professional setting, she makes her intentions crystal clear. “I’m interested in a more personal connection. I have been since day one. Even a man of God is still a man.” Bishop wants her attention, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to draw attention to them in a public setting so he kind of thwarts her advances.
Rochelle goes back to Tasha and reveals the secret I’ve been wondering about since she showed up. “I told that brother of mine there is more than one way to skin a Greenleaf. I don’t care how we do it as long as it hurts bad.” And there you have it. Remember I said in a previous recap that the caretaker who died in that church fire started by Bishop was supposed to have a daughter not a son. Could it be that Rochelle is that daughter and Basie was the younger brother? Obviously, they are siblings…I know this is TV, but they don’t look alike at all, right?
Once the presentations are done, Zora and Sophia are free to have fun or jam with their boyfriends on the dance floor. Jacob cannot help but smile as he watches his baby dance. He tells Kerissa that she should be able to hang out late for the evening, but he changes his tune once she tells him that she found a condom in their daughter’s room. Actually, Jacob’s mouth drops open. Although it may look like Zora and Isaiah better known to me as Gospel Chris Brown or Christian Breezy (what someone called him on Twitter LOL) are having a great time, they are actually bickering on the dance floor. Per usual, he storms off and Zora chases behind him. But this time, Sophia follows the two. She witnesses Isaiah hitting Zora and runs back to tell Jacob what happened! Jacob then runs up on Zora and Isaiah. After Jacob hits Isaiah, he says, “You better be happy I didn’t kill you boy.” Obviously, this is a spectacle in the middle of the cotillion. Then Zora runs off again and locks herself in the bathroom. Isaiah calls on her cell phone, apologizes yet again, promises never to hit her again and says, “Come away with me. I love you.”
The only family member who didn’t see the drama unfold at the cotillion is Charity who is on tour with Jabari and Le’Andria, who replaced Tamela Mann for some reason. Anywho, after having an intimate dinner, Jabari and Charity are ready for more intimacy! The biblical kind. Yes, chile. With Alicia Keys and Maxwell singing “Fire We Make,” Jabari and Charity are in bed about to kindle a fire of their own. But she is stalls. First, she tells him, she has only been with Kevin. And then she tells him she had an emergency Caesarian section which left a scar. She hesitantly shows him the scar. He kisses the scar and says, “Charity, you’re beautiful.” What a hottie he is!
Now that the cotillion is over, Lady Mae has other business she wants to address that evening. Since she’s not coming home to Bishop, she probably has more free time. She goes to see her sister Mavis, who is packing. “You’re moving?” “I’ve got an offer from an investor to open a club in Stockholm. You know white folk love their blues,” Mavis replies.
Lady Mae wastes no time in telling her that she still owns the club, but Mavis tells her she doesn’t want the club anymore. Lady Mae says, “I want my sister back.” Mavis replies, “You can’t have me.” After telling her that she is her sister, Mavis says, “Sister. You don’t know what that word means.” She then tells Lady Mae to give the deed to Gigi. Honey, then Lady Male pulls out all of the stops. “I forgive you for James.” She explains to her sister that she knows about the one time that James and Mavis got together. “Is that what he told you? I can’t even count the times I threw your husband out of here.” Wow. “He never loved you. He just thought you was pretty.” Again, wow. Mavis says that James only wanted Lady Mae to build his church business. (Sadly, many churches are primarily businesses but that is not the case for all churches, thankfully. Just sayin’.) But you know my Lady Mae has the one-liners for eternity and back. ” I think what he chose is a wife so what does that make you.” Take that, take that!
Across town in the parsonage, Jacob and Kerissa have the blues too. “How do you want to handle this?” Kerissa asks Jacob the morning after the cotillion. Kerissa cannot understand why Zora, who was raised to have self-esteem, is accepting abuse from her boyfriend. “There is something inside of her that is broken or unfinished.” But Jacob tells her that his sister Faith had a boyfriend who treated her in a similar fashion and she accepted it too. Sooo…We know that Mac had a penchant for light-skinned young girls, but then again, Faith wasn’t very light-skinned. Could he have abused Zora in her formative years too?!!!
Jacob goes to Zora’s room to check on her, but quickly discovers the teenager is gone! They later discover that Isaiah is gone too!
Also the morning after, Lady Mae shows up at the Greenleaf estate. Grace comes down the stairs and asks, “Have you been out all night?” Apparently, she drove around all night long after her meeting with Mavis. Bishop also appears and Lady Mae says, “I want you out of this house. You told me it only happened one time!”
Bishop doesn’t even put up a fuss. “So be it,” he says. Lady Mae asks Maricel to bring her breakfast to the sunroom. Bishop leaves and goes to the Biltmore Hotel, the site of the cotillion, where he is welcomed into the open arms of Rochelle!
What a season! What a season finale! Are your edges intact?!! Check out a snippet of the fiery finale below!
Thank you sooo much for reading my Greenleaf Finale Recap, Season 2 Episode 16: The Pearl and my other recaps so far. If you would like to keep up with OWN’s “Greenleaf,” and my recaps, please click on this link to subscribe to my blog 🙂!
Any thoughts?
